These air fried zucchini parm bites are fun, healthy-ish, and easy to make. Serve them on their own as a delightful snack or as a great side addition to any meal!

My sister had been raving about how much she loved her air fryer, so I finally broke down and bought one. I needed the perfect recipe to christen the new appliance with, so I asked her what her favorite things to make were, one of which was zucchini fries. Of course, I couldn’t make it exactly the way she does because where’s the fun in that? Although, I’m sure hers are delicious, too! These Zucchini Parm Bites are inspired by her recipe, and I have to say, they are really good. It’s definitely the kind of thing you can’t eat just one of. The recipe comes together really quickly, and they’re pretty fun to make! Who doesn’t like breading things? A messy kitchen is a sign you had fun!

I love these little bites because they have a variety of textures. A nice vegetal chewy middle encased in a crunchy shell. They’re perfect to pair with your favorite dipping sauce. Who doesn’t love a cheesy, crispy, dippable, bite-size finger food? This one really checks all of the boxes! With the air fryer, you can avoid all of the soggy, greasiness that usually accompanies fried food. Plus, zucchini is a squash so you can consider this a healthy-ish snack!

Air Fried Zucchini Parm Bites Ingredients:

• Zucchini: I used two for this recipe, but make as many as you’d like.

• Breadcrumbs: I like to use this brand because I think they crisp up nicely, and since they come without any seasoning on them, you can add whatever spices you’d like! I always recommend starting with fewer breadcrumbs because any leftovers will have to get thrown away. It’s a small change, and if it fights food waste, why not?

• Parmesan cheese: I used shredded, but I think that a finer shred would’ve worked better. I recommend Finely Shredded Parmesan Cheese, just please don’t get it out of a shaker. That’s not real cheese. 

• Garlic Powder: Garlic is one of my best friends, so I invite them to all of my parties. 

• Onion Powder: Onion is garlic’s best friend and almost always their plus one. Plus, they’re so fun to hang out with together! Throw Parm in the mix and you really have a party started.

• Oregano: I ran out of Italian seasoning this week, so I just used oregano instead. Feel free to use either, just take a peek at the ingredients list to make sure that you adjust your levels of garlic or onion powder accordingly.

• Egg: I just used one egg beaten into an egg wash. Salt & Pepper: As per usual salt and pepper to taste.

How to Make Air Fried Zucchini Parm Bites:

• Cut the zucchini into rounds. I sliced mine about a quarter of an inch thick. You don’t have to be perfect, but the more similar in size they are the more evenly they’ll air fry. 
• Prepare your breadcrumbs. You want to find a shallow dish with a wide enough mouth to fit your hands in so that you can coat the zucchini bites efficiently. I like to start with fewer breadcrumbs so that I don’t have to throw many away at the end. I’ll start with maybe a little less than a quarter of a cup. 
• Add your spices. I eyeball my spices, simply adding the amount I think looks right. My approximations would be 2 teaspoons each oregano/Italian seasoning and onion powder, and a tablespoon of garlic powder. This is assuming you’re using around a quarter of a cup of breadcrumbs. However, these are just my own tastes, feel free to make yours however you’d like. Now is also a good time to add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a second shallow dish, beat an egg. I only needed one for all of my two zucchinis. 
• Once you’re set-up, get to work breading your zucchini rounds. I recommend using one hand to dip the round into the egg wash and put it in the breadcrumb mixture, and the other hand to coat the round in the breadcrumbs. This helps to avoid breading your fingers, but let’s be honest, it’s mostly inevitable. 
• Place the rounds in a single layer in the air fryer. This allows for air circulation and maximum crispiness. 
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. I know, I know, sprinkling directly in the air fryer makes for more clean up. I tried breading them and then dunking them in the cheese, but that just made the breading come off. Adding the cheese to the breadcrumb mix made it too clumpy and no longer a homogenous mixture. Sprinkling them seems to be the easiest way to ensure that each round has some cheese. And trust me, you’ll want each one to have cheese!
• Air fry the zucchini parm bites. I did mine at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 Celsius) for 6 minutes. I didn’t flip them halfway through and they were still crispy on both sides, but every air fryer is different! Since you’ll have to fry in batches, you might as well see what works best for yours.
• Pair with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

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